Shapiro, Martin

My primary interests are in learning, decision making and neuroscience. For a long
time my research has focused on animal behavior and animal learning. More recently
I have been focused primarily around the area of risky decision making and confidence
in humans. We have developed different computer tasks that test memory and gambling
decisions based on a person’s confidence in success. In our electroencephalography
lab, we are looking at different event-related potentials that correlate with choices
made on these tasks. We have also established a psychophysiology lab using equipment
from BIOPAC to measure different stress responses such as heart rate, galvanic skin
response and muscle activity (EMG) when people are making risky decisions. Finally,
some students and I are testing Brain-Computer Interface equipment by Emotiv that
allows participants to learn to move objects on a computer screen by controlling specific
brainwaves using a modified EEG cap and biofeedback. I feel it is extremely important
to provide students with opportunities to involve themselves in the experience of
research.